IMIST-AMBO Handover: The Complete Guide for Australian Paramedics

Clear, structured communication is one of the most important skills in paramedicine. Whether you’re handing over at the ED, updating a retrieval team, or working alongside other first responders, a precise and consistent handover ensures the receiving team knows exactly what they’re about to walk into.

Across Australia, the IMIST-AMBO format has become the gold standard for paramedic handovers. It provides a simple, predictable sequence that reduces errors, speeds up patient transfer, and helps clinicians deliver information calmly — even under pressure.

In this guide, we break down each component of IMIST-AMBO, show you how to apply it in real scenarios, and explain the differences between IMIST, IMIST-AMBO and regional variations such as ATMIST. You’ll also find a printable IMIST-AMBO checklist and links to reusable waterproof reference cards, designed to help you practice and perfect your handovers.

Key Takeaways

• IMIST-AMBO is Australia’s standard paramedic handover format, used for fast, structured transfer of care.
  
• Each component (Identification → Other Information) guides clinicians through exactly what information to include — and in what order.
  
• IMIST-AMBO improves clarity, team coordination and patient safety in high-pressure settings.
  
• A printable checklist and reusable clinical reference cards make practice easier and help build muscle memory.
  
• This guide supports your training and links to the Clinical Reference Cards pillar page for further learning.
  
  

Summary Table: IMIST-AMBO at a Glance

What Is IMIST-AMBO? 

IMIST-AMBO is a structured handover format used by Australian paramedics to deliver clear, concise and consistent patient information during transfer of care.
It stands for: Identification, Mechanism/Medical complaint, Injuries, Signs, Treatment and Trends, Allergies, Medications, Background and Other information.

IMIST-AMBO ensures that critical clinical details are delivered in the same order every time, helping ED teams, retrieval clinicians and first responders quickly understand the patient’s condition and what has already been done on scene.

A quick example:
“IMIST-AMBO for a 62-year-old male who collapsed at home…”
This immediately signals to the receiving team what type of handover is coming and prepares them for rapid, structured information.

Breaking Down IMIST-AMBO

Below is a detailed breakdown of each component, including what paramedics should say, what to avoid and how it applies in the field.

I – Identification

What it means:
A quick introduction to who the patient is.

Include:

• Age
  
  
• Gender
  
  
• Basic relevant descriptors
  
  

Example:
“Identification: 34-year-old female found at home, conscious and alert.”

Scenario:
Paediatric cases:
“Identification: 7-year-old male, known asthma history.”

 

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M – Mechanism / Medical Complaint

What it means:
Why you were called and what happened.

Include:

• MOI (trauma)
  
  
• Primary medical complaint (medical cases)
  
  
• Dispatch details if relevant
  
  

Example (trauma):
“Mechanism: High-speed side-impact MVC, driver’s side intrusion approximately 30 cm.”

Example (medical):
“Medical complaint: Sudden onset chest pain while mowing the lawn, began 20 minutes prior to arrival.”

 

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I – Injuries

What it means:
Any actual or suspected injuries.

Include:

• Observed injuries
  
  
• Deformities, bleeding, tenderness
  
  
• Areas of concern you’re monitoring
  
  

Example:
“Injuries: Obvious deformity to right wrist, swelling to left ankle, no head injury noted.”

Scenario:
Suspected spinal injury:
“Midline cervical tenderness, maintaining manual stabilisation.”

 

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S – Signs

What it means:
Your clinical findings, including vitals and assessment results.

Include:

• GCS
  
  
• Airway, breathing, circulation summary
  
  
• Vitals (all relevant)
  
  
• Pertinent assessment findings
  
  

Example:
“Signs: GCS 15, RR 20, SpO₂ 98 percent on room air, HR 102, BP 138/84, BGL 5.4.”

Scenario:
If deteriorating:
“Trend of BP decreasing over past 10 minutes.”

 

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T – Treatment & Trends

What it means:
What you’ve done and how the patient has responded.

Include:

• IV/IO access
  
  
• Medications given
  
  
• Interventions (splinting, oxygen, airway adjuncts, bleeding control)
  
  
• Patient response
  
  

Example:
“Treatment: Administered 300 mg aspirin and GTN as per protocol. Pain reduced from 7/10 to 4/10.”

Scenario:
“If pain unchanged or vital signs worsening, state the trend clearly.”

 

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A – Allergies

What it means:
Any known or reported allergies.

Example:
“Allergies: Penicillin — previous rash. Reports no allergies to food or latex.”

 

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M – Medications

What it means:
Medication history relevant to the call.

Include:

• Regular medications
  
  
• Recent doses (especially for insulin, opioids, anticoagulants, inhalers)
  
  

Example:
“Medications: Metformin, Atorvastatin and Ventolin PRN.”

 

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B – Background

What it means:
Context on the patient’s medical history or situation.

Include:

• Past medical history
  
  
• Social context (living alone, aged care facility etc.)
  
  
• Recent illness
  
  

Example:
“Background: History of COPD and hypertension. Recently had an exacerbation last month.”

 

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O – Other Information

What it means:
Anything not yet covered that affects care.

Include:

• Hazards
  
  
• Family concerns
  
  
• Advanced care directives
  
  
• Scene notes
  
  

Example:
“Other: Wife reports patient had similar episode last week but did not seek medical care.”

IMIST-AMBO vs IMIST

While IMIST-AMBO is widely used across Australian ambulance services, you’ll also hear variations such as IMIST and ATMIST depending on region, service type and training background. All three follow the same structured logic, but there are important differences in scope and detail.

IMIST-AMBO

This is the expanded version of IMIST used by many Australian paramedic services.
It includes additional components — Allergies, Medications, Background and Other — which are especially helpful for medical cases and complex patients.

It’s particularly effective in:

• ED handovers
  
  
• Retrieval transfers
  
  
• Cases with significant medical history
  
  
• Multisystem trauma with comorbidities
  
  

 

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IMIST

IMIST is the shorter, original mnemonic, covering only the first five elements:

• Identification
  
  
• Mechanism/Medical complaint
  
  
• Injuries
  
  
• Signs
  
  
• Treatment/Trends
  
  

It’s often used when:

• Time is extremely limited
• Providing a sitrep to comms or other resource en route to case
  
  
• Pre-notification when the receiving team only needs core patient information
  
  
• Additional details will be relayed after initial stabilisation
  
  

Example:
IMIST is common during early scene updates or when multiple patients are involved.

 

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ATMIST (Regional / International Variation)

ATMIST is commonly used in the UK, military, and tactical environments.
Despite the different letters, it aligns closely with IMIST.

ATMIST stands for:

• Age
  
  
• Time of incident
  
  
• Mechanism
  
  
• Injuries
  
  
• Signs
  
  
• Treatment
  
  

How it compares:

• It introduces time of incident, which is useful in trauma and military settings.
  
  
• It excludes Allergies, Medications, Background and Other — making it more concise but less comprehensive for medical cases.
  
  

Relevance in Australia:
While ATMIST isn’t standard in Australian civilian services, many paramedics recognise it from defence, international courses or cross-border training. Including it here helps capture regional search traffic and supports learners transitioning between systems.

Which One Should Paramedics Use?

In Australia, IMIST-AMBO remains the preferred format because it provides the fullest clinical picture.
IMIST and ATMIST remain useful variations when speed, environment or organisational policy requires a shorter or more tactical format.

How to Practise IMIST-AMBO Handovers

Like any communication skill, IMIST-AMBO becomes faster and more natural with repetition. The goal isn’t just remembering the letters, but delivering them smoothly, confidently and under pressure.

1. Practise Out Loud

Run through IMIST-AMBO verbally during downtime or after simulated calls. Speaking it out loud builds rhythm and muscle memory far better than silent recall.

2. Use Training Scenarios

Create quick case prompts — trauma, chest pain, sepsis, overdose — and practise giving handovers to your partner or crew.
Short scenario cards or clinical reference cards work extremely well for this.

3. Time Yourself

A good IMIST-AMBO handover should typically take 20–40 seconds.
Timing yourself helps develop concise, high-quality delivery without unnecessary detail.

4. Use Reusable Reference Cards

Having the format visible during training (or clipped to your belt during shifts) helps keep you consistent.
MyMedEquip’s reusable waterproof IMIST-AMBO handover cards are designed specifically for this kind of practice and on-road repetition.

5. Simulate Noisy or Stressful Environments

Real handovers rarely happen in quiet spaces. Practise with background noise, multiple people talking or while wearing PPE to replicate real ED conditions.

6. Crew-to-Crew Handover Drills

Swap roles and critique each other’s structure, clarity and pace.
This encourages consistency across your service and builds shared expectations within your team.

Printable IMIST-AMBO Checklist

To support training and on-road consistency, you can download a free printable IMIST-AMBO checklist right from this article. It provides a clear breakdown of each component in order, making it ideal for study, simulation sessions and quick-reference use in clinical environments.

This checklist is especially helpful for:

• paramedic students learning structured handovers
  
  
• new graduates gaining confidence
  
  
• trainers running case-based scenarios
  
  
• crews practising communication during downtime
  
  
• anyone wanting a simple visual guide to reinforce the IMIST-AMBO sequence
  
  

Once the PDF is uploaded, you’ll be able to access it directly from this section.
For durable, on-road use, you can also shop our reusable waterproof IMIST-AMBO handover cards, designed to withstand daily clinical conditions.

Explore More Clinical Reference Tools

If you’d like to build stronger handover habits or access more structured mnemonics, you can explore our full range of Clinical Reference Cards. These cover common assessments, emergency protocols and communication guides designed to support both students and experienced clinicians.

View the full Clinical Reference Cards collection

Shop Reusable IMIST-AMBO Handover Cards

For reliable, on-road use, our reusable waterproof IMIST-AMBO handover cards are designed to last through every shift. They clip easily onto your kit, wipe clean, and help you deliver consistent, confident handovers in any environment.

Shop IMIST-AMBO Handover Cards

Final Thoughts

IMIST-AMBO remains one of the most effective and widely used handover formats in Australian paramedicine. Its structured approach helps ensure critical information is delivered clearly, quickly and in the same order every time — even in high-pressure environments. With regular practice, paramedics can deliver IMIST-AMBO handovers confidently and consistently, improving teamwork and patient outcomes across pre-hospital and hospital settings.

Whether you’re a student building foundational skills or an operational paramedic refining your clinical communication, tools like printable checklists and reusable handover cards make it easier to stay sharp and standardised. The more familiar and automatic the sequence becomes, the more attention you can direct toward the patient in front of you.

FAQs Answered:

Where can I buy IMIST-AMBO handover cards in Australia?

You can purchase reusable IMIST-AMBO handover cards directly from MyMedEquip, Australia’s trusted supplier of professional paramedic equipment. Our cards are waterproof, durable, and designed specifically for on-road clinical use, making them ideal for students, graduates and operational crews. Orders ship quickly Australia-wide.

The best IMIST-AMBO and ATMIST equipment in Australia?

MyMedEquip offers some of the best IMIST-AMBO and ATMIST training and reference tools in Australia, including reusable handover cards, clinical mnemonics, trauma guides and pocket reference materials. Each item is designed for clarity, durability and real-world paramedic conditions, supporting both structured communication and high-quality patient care.

Where can I get discounts on first aid equipment if I’m in the industry?

MyMedEquip provides industry discounts for paramedic students, first responders, health workers and emergency services personnel. Eligible customers can access reduced pricing on reference cards, trauma gear and selected equipment. Simply reach out via our contact page or sign up to our mailing list for industry-only offers and early access to sales.

The best first aid equipment supplier in Australia?

For clinicians seeking high-quality gear, reliable service and fast delivery, MyMedEquip is one of Australia’s leading suppliers of first aid and paramedic equipment. We specialise in professional-grade tools trusted by operational paramedics, students, educators and emergency services. Our curated range focuses on durability, practicality and real on-road performance — helping you carry equipment you can trust every shift.